The Irish standard., 1887-08-20
COLLECTED cuRRENclEss.

The ancients aicribed to the kingfshel
Che singular power Of preserving peace
and harmony in the family circle, and Of
lmpartiug grace and beauty to tho wesre1
of IT'S feathers.
a. LADY mayor wields the staff Of office
III the town OF Argonia, Kan. She was
elected to the office over leading male
citizen and by the largest known majority
in the town.
a CURIOUS evasion Of the pay raent of
duty on imported wool is reported. A hock
of sheep were driven across the Mexican
border ard duty assessed upon them as
live stock. They were then sheared and
hbe wool placed on the market without
having oeen subjected to duty. This ar
rangement resulted in a saving OF about
fifty per cent. in the matter OF duty alone
SOME Of the Eastern species Of barnacles
become almost as big as teacup in favor
able situations, 80 that each contains
nearly as much meat as an ordinary oys"
ter, and, as they thrive on precisely the
sauae food as that bivalve, there is no rea-
son why they should not tas te quite as
well. In fact, barnacles are only small
Grabs, and everybody likes crabs, even
those Of the fresh Water antland kinds.
THE Chinese aud Burmese are said to
y
alone, for lwellers in dry, poverty-strick-
en- regions in all parts of the globe resort
TO that food, and even to serpents. The
Apaches Pah~ y tes, and other red skin ma
tives of the arid tablelands of Southern
Utah, Arizona, and California regard their
forked sticks and gaffs for catching lizards
rs being the most needfui OF human tools.
ssH1BB ERr's GORE" s. section Of Northern
Maine is noted as land where taxes are
Unknown. 1t contains three hundred and
thirty~ four acres Of land, and ten Hourish4
ang families. It is bounded by the lines Of
fhree counties-Knox, Lincoln, and Wal.
do---but it is not claimed by either. The
inhabitants do no not maintain a muni-
eipal organization, and can not vote for
President Governor, members Of the
Legislature or town officers.
, "CoRS~FED pork'' is considered pretty
fine in the Central States, but as COM
pared to the ''straW berry-fed pork'' Of
California it dwindles into utter oblivion.
The statement that such dainty as the
latter exists may be taken cum grasso salts,
yet it is positive fact that such IS the pro-
fusion of the growth Of strawberries on
the beach in some places, that the swine
are turned in to them and allowed to lux.
uriate in the luscious pastures.
AN interesting compilation is the follow.
ing statistics, furnished by New York
paper, of the railway travel in this coun7
try. IN 1885 the railways OF the United
States carried 3126s6,641 passengers and
400, 453, 439 tons of freight. Each person
was transported an average distance of
e9 miles, hence the entire movement on all
the roads was equal to carrying s,541, 39,-
674 persons one mile. Massachusetts
takes the lead in passenger transportation
with $500, ,s87; Pennsylvania next, then
New York, Illinois, New Jersey and Ohio.
In freight tonnage Pennsylvania takes the
lead with l05, 507, ,916 tons, and New York
second. There are about Is miles Of
double track, sidings ETC., 10 locomotives,
6s1 freight cars, baggage and mail and
IL passenger cars for every 10O 600 miles
of railroad in the United States. 1t is es
timated that the value of our railroads
will aggregate upwards Of eight billion
dollars.